Ports & destinations

Requirements “out of control” to cruise in Canadian Arctic - AECO

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations

Published: 08 July 2014 08 July 2014

More than 35 different Canadian authorities require more than 50 different applications and permits from cruise operators before they are allowed to visit Arctic Canada. This keeps cruise operators, visitors and economic activities away from Canada, said the Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators (AECO)

The organisation said in a statement it had sent an open letter to Canadian stakeholders that are involved with permitting requirements for expedition cruise operators or involved with the political framework behind such requirements. “The intention of the letter was to express a concern with the unfortunate fact that the Canadian Arctic is considered one of the most cumbersome, expensive and problematic regions in the world in which expedition cruise operators conduct tourism activities.”

Canada, as a destination, has a great deal to offer tourists from all over the world and the expedition cruise operators would like to continue to bring guests and economic activity to Canada. But improved cooperation of the Canadian authorities is needed to make this possible.

“The list of permitting requirements for cruise operators in Arctic Canada seems to be ever-increasing. The illustrative list below includes 52 different permitting, licensing, clearance, inspection, review, certification, impact, registration and reporting requirements, which Arctic cruise operators might have to adhere to when operating in the Canadian Arctic. Canadian researcher Ph.D. Jackie Dawson, Canada Research Chair in Environment, Society and Policy and Assistant Professor at University of Ottawa is working on article with the premise, “This situation limits economic development and local entrepreneurship opportunities and essentially yet unintentionally undermines some of the work that is being conducted by the same institutions that are implementing the permits.”

The current state of affairs and difficulties in obtaining information is a serious concern to all operators. According to Hans Lagerweij, President and CEO of Canadian-based Quark Expeditions,“No Canadian body has been able to provide a complete list of requirements and/or a list of permitting authorities, so operators could easily oversee one or more requirements, which could result in a company unintentionally being non-compliant. This complete lack of clarity is a serious concern for all operators.” According to Lagerweij, one solution could be a central permitting body or office.

Frigg Jørgensen, Executive Director of AECO, believes that if this situation is not changed it will lead to a long-term loss of tourism and tourism related business for Canada. “As an organization representing Arctic expedition cruise operators, we strongly urge Canadian authorities to start a process in order to streamline the complex, time consuming, expensive and unclear permitting situation that is the reality in the Canadian Arctic today.” According to Jørgensen, the expedition cruise operators will—if things are not changed—continue to take their business elsewhere as they’ve done in the recent years. She hopes that the Canadian authorities will consult the industry to streamline and possibly even reduce the very high number of requirements and learn from other similar regions such as Greenland and Svalbard.

Responsible, environmentally friendly and safe expedition cruise operations

As an organization, AECO represents its members—approximately 40 international companies that operate almost 30 vessels in Svalbard, Greenland, Canada and the Russian Arctic. Besides a number of Canadian members, AECO has members who have been engaged in expedition cruise tourism in Arctic Canada and other Arctic regions since the 1980s.  AECO is dedicated to ensure responsible, environmentally friendly and safe expedition cruise tourism all over the Arctic. The organization takes the complexities of polar ship operations very seriously and AECO members work diligently to ensure the utmost consideration for local cultures, flora, fauna and cultural artifacts. In order to accomplish this, AECO has developed a number of guidelines that regulate the members’ operations and visitor behavior. 

British Virgin Islands Ports Authority secures funding for cruise pier expansion

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations

Published: 07 July 2014 07 July 2014

The Government of the Virgin Islands, through the British Virgin Islands Ports Authority (BVIPA), has secured $35 million for the Cruise Pier Expansion Project after closing with First Caribbean International Bank on Thursday afternoon.

The BVIPA Chairman Mr. Edward de Castro and Managing Director Mr. Claude O. Skelton Cline signed alongside Premier and Minister of Finance Dr. the Honourable D. Orlando Smith, OBE.

In addition to the senior public officials, BVIPA General Counsel Ms. Vareen Vanterpool, FCIB Interim Country Manager Mr. Valentine Fraser and Harneys’ Partner Mr. Johann E. Henry were also present.

Mr. Skelton-Cline said the Authority is pleased to accomplish another bench mark, thereby ensuring the project receives the necessary funding. The managing director said that coming to financial close secures the future of the project, which is progressing well. He added, “We also want to continue encouraging the public to take advantage of the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) which is designed to help them invest in the new development.”

The SPV offer is categorized by Class A Preference Shares (to be redeemed after seven years), Class B (to be redeemed after ten years) and Class C (to be redeemed after fifteen years). The different classes of shares will offer annual dividends or returns of 5.75-percent, 6.75-percent and 8.45-percent, respectively.

Mr. Skelton Cline said, “Persons would have already seen the fencing, the new staging area for taxis and some demolition works on the landside. On the marine side, they’re mobilising and stockpiling the armour stone, and general site setup. By mid August, cranes and other machinery will be in full effect.”

The Cruise Pier Expansion Project involves the extension, strengthening and widening of the existing cruise pier. It also includes the development of a boardwalk, further development and enhancement of the excursion dock facility, dredging and land reclamation.
The highlight of the project includes a 5-acre landside development which will feature commercial, retail, entertainment and green spaces.

The Cruise Pier Expansion Project is designed to create a unique and modern cruise pier facility that delivers a memorable, world-class and environmentally compatible sustainable development.

The BVI Ports Authority is responsible for the Territory’s cruise infrastructure and facilitates port calls.

Cruise passenger count fall of 13% seen in Adriatic region

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations

Published: 08 July 2014 08 July 2014

There were more than 5.2 million cruise passenger movements in 2013 in the Adriatic and about 17 million ferry passengers, but the cruise sector appears to face a tougher times in 2014 than last year.

“For 2014 there is expected to be a reduction in cruise traffic in the area of 13% and a growth of 2.1% in ferry passengers, shows the 2014 edition of the Adriatic Sea Tourism Report, a publication dedicated to the analysis of maritime tourism movements in the Adriatic area that comprises cruise, ferry and boating activities.

The expected fall in cruise passenger numbers is in line with the decrease expected in the whole of the Mediterranean, mainly due to the fact that some ships have moved to other areas of the world cruise map. With regard to ferries the study contains an analysis of passenger movements and calls of more than 40 ports in the Adriatic.

As regards cruise traffic in the over 20 active ports in the Adriatic, in 2013 Venice topped the ranking with approximately 1.8 million passengers (or 34.8% of the total for the area) and 548 cruise calls (17.2% of the total), followed by Dubrovnik with slightly more than 1 million passenger movements (20.8% of the total) and 692 cruise calls (21.7% of the total) and Corfu, with about 744 thousand passenger movements and 480 cruise calls, or 14.3% and 15% respectively of the total registered.

The concentration of cruise traffic in the Adriatic area sees the top three ports moving about 70% of the total, a percentage that rises to 87.6% if the number of ports is extended to 5 and 97.7% if the top ten ports are taken into consideration.

Costa Crociere and Trieste region in far reaching agreement to develop cruising in city

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations

Published: 07 July 2014 07 July 2014

Costa Crociere, the Italian unit in the Carnival Corp & plc group, and the Trieste region are to develop cruise business in the Italian city on the basis of a wide reaching agreement signed last week, the cruise line said in a statement.

It has the dual aim of developing Trieste as a port of embarkation and as a travel destination for cruises in the Adriatic. “The associated activities include a commitment to improve transport to and from the city, in particular the rail link with Northern and Central Italy, to promote Trieste as a cruise destination and natural gateway port for tourists from Eastern Europe, to add Trieste as regular port of call for latest generation Costa ships in 2015, and to reinforce Costa’s presence in the Trieste Passenger Terminal,” Costa said.

Thanks to a strategic partnership with Italian state railway operator Trenitalia, in 2015 Costa’s guests will benefit from high-speed train transport links to Trieste. Using the new “Rail&Cruise” formula, cruise passengers will be able to purchase rail tickets on the Frecciabianca high-speed train service between Turin and Trieste stopping in Novara, Vercelli, Brescia, Verona, Vicenza, Padua and Venice.

“Costa’s guests will travel in reserved carriages and will also be offered a series of additional services included in the fare including transportation of their baggage from their doorstep to their cabin, transfers from the station to the port and vice versa, assistance from Costa ground staff at their station of departure and on the train, and baggage insurance,’ the company said.